Misophonia or Selected Soft Sound Sensitivity

Misophonia is described as a very strong dislike or even hatred of particular sounds. These sounds are often normal everyday sounds that do not bother other people, like chewing, lip licking or smacking, breathing, clearing of throats, certain pronunciations of particular sounds like p, k, or s, or other noises.

Most often these individuals have perfect hearing or even slightly better than normal hearing. There also appears to be a genetic component to this disorder because family members often share these issues.

Currently, there is limited research on misophonia and there are no standardized measurements or treatments. Currently, the use of white noise sound generators to decrease the individual’s awareness of the bothersome sounds and a referral to a therapist for cognitive behavior therapy are suggested treatments.